THE GREAT ALBUMS

 

As the never-ending parade of pantheonic lists by MTV, VH1, and Rolling Stone magazine attests, the five-decade history of rock ’n’ roll has produced a canon of classics just like any other art form, from literature, to theater, to film.

Inspired by my Chicago Sun-Times colleague and critical hero Roger Ebert, I launched this bi-weekly column in Sunday Showcase (and hope to return to it soon) as an in-depth forum for delving deep into the grooves of rock’s bonafide masterpieces, as well as for shedding light on some lesser-known efforts that deserve to be acknowledged for their genius.

In introducing his Great Movies column, Roger wrote, "One of the gifts one movie lover can give another is the title of a wonderful film they have not yet discovered." The same is true of music and the Great Albums--so tune in, turn it up, and read on.

2006

March 19: Queen, Jazz

Feb. 5: Common, Like Water for Chocolate

2003

June 13: PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Love

Jan. 25: Arrested Development, 3 Years, 5 Months...

Oct. 19: Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends

Oct. 5: John Cale and Brian Eno, Wrong Way Up

Sept. 21: Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes

July 13: Barry White, The Ultimate Collection

June 29: Tone-Loc, Loc-ed After Dark

June 15: Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde

June 1: Love, Forever Changes

May 18: Wire, Pink Flag

May 4: Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Apr. 6: De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising

Mar. 9: Ride, Carnival of Light

Feb. 9: Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque

2002

Dec. 1: Two by Queen

Oct. 20: Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville

Oct. 6: Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow

Sept. 8: Jane's Addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual

Aug. 25: Public Enemy, Fear of A Black Planet

Aug. 11: The MC5, Kick Out the Jams

July 14: Bob Marley, Confrontation

June 30, 2002: Supertramp, Breakfast in America

June 16, 2002: X-Ray Spex, Germfree Adolescents

June 2, 2002: "Heroes"

April 21, 2002: The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Mar. 24, 2002: The Velvet Underground & Nico

Feb. 24, 2002: R.E.M., Murmur

Feb. 10, 2002: The Ramones, Ramonesmania

Jan. 27, 2002: Rush, 2112

Jan. 13. 2002: The Patti Smith Group, Easter

2001

Dec.16, 2001: The Beatles, Revolver

Dec. 2, 2001: My Bloody Valentine, Loveless

Nov. 18, 2001: Jethro Tull, Aqualung

Nov. 4, 2001: The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed

Oct. 21, 2001: Nirvana, In Utero

Oct. 7, 2001: James Brown: Live at the Apollo

Sept. 23, 2001: Derek and the Dominos, Layla

 

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